Toto and the Boys II: George

Chapter 7

Georgie parked me at the usual spot just outside the gigantic Lacson house.

What I liked about the parking space she had chosen for me was that it was grassy. I liked it when the wind would blow and they would tickle me down there. No pun intended, no sexual meanings! So clear your dirty minds!

George stared at herself in the mirror before she let out a sigh.

You can do it, Georgie!

By look of the cars parked in the garage beside the house, her father’s car was not there so he was not home.

How lucky, right?

She could have her mother and Viv all to herself.

Georgie must have noticed that too because she quickly climbed out of me and briskly walked to the house.

Left alone, I began to think of Vicky. I missed that vic all of a sudden.

*****

George found her mother by the pool at the back of the house, lounging on a chair as she watched her youngest daughter play with the water.

“’Ma,” she called.

Mariana Lacson turned her head in surprise. “George!”

George walked to her mother, bent down and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Georgie! Georgie!” her fifteen-year-old sister’s voice cried out from the pool.

Her nanny struggled with her as she dashed to the side and climbed the steps to solid ground. Once done, Vivienne ran to George all wet and excited to give her a hug.

George’s smile widened as she felt her sister’s cold hug around her. “You have gotten really tall, Viv,” she said.

Her sister looked up at her with the signature eyes of someone with Down Syndrome and giggled. “Tall?”

George nodded with a smile.

“Viv, you’re getting your sister wet,” their mother said, grabbing a towel to wrap it around Vivienne. She pulled her younger daughter away from George and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Go with yaya and change into something dry. George will be here when you get back.”

Though her eyes did not focus on her, George knew her sister was talking to her when she said, “Georgie will be here?”

“Yes, I will be here. Go dry up,” she told her sister as her nanny took her hand from her.

Both mother and big sister watched as Vivienne walked back inside the house to change, her voice excited and happy.

“You should visit her more often. She asks after you every night before she goes to sleep.”

A feeling of guilt washed over her and she tried to control it by taking a seat right next to her mother. They watched the empty pool as the ripples calmed down.

“How was your week with Jordan?” her mother finally asked.

George let the silence linger for a long time. “Weird.”

Mariana looked at her with curiosity. “Define weird.”

George stared at her mother, faked a faltering gaze and looked away once more. “Just weird.”

“Your father is not here. You can tell me anything like you always do,” her mother reminded.

She let out a sigh as she leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling. “He’s not what I had expected him to be. I thought he was boring and too serious.”